The chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Fiidi Council Ward, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Igbu Terhemen, has been reportedly killed by suspected hoodlums.
Terhemen was said to have been attacked on Tuesday evening after leaving his residence to watch a local football match in the Kanshio area of Makurdi.
A friend of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Terhemen failed to return home after the match, prompting family members and friends to begin a search for him.
The friend said he was eventually found unconscious around 2am on Wednesday in a bush close to his residence near the NNPC Depot, along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road.
He said Terhemen was rushed for medical attention but died before he could receive treatment, adding that his mobile phone was still with him when his body was taken to the morgue.
The source further alleged that a needle-like injury was noticed on the deceased’s body, raising suspicion that he might have been injected with an unknown substance before being abandoned in the bush.
The Benue State chapter of the NDC condemned the incident, describing Terhemen as a committed member who contributed significantly to the growth of the party.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the state Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem, the party alleged that Terhemen was tied with ropes and injected with substances suspected to be poisonous before being dumped near his residence.
The NDC state chairman, Ohini Ojegbe, described the incident as a “broad-daylight evil” and called on security agencies to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, identify those responsible and prosecute them.
However, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the command had not received any report concerning the alleged killing.